Case three: Ethics of coercion
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Updated: Jul 4, 2026

Exploring the Role of Deontic Reasoning and World Knowledge in Wason´s Selection Task
Published on: July 22, 2025
1Department of Philosophy, St. Ambrose University, Davenport, IA 52803, USA. swiftandrewm@sau.edu
Abstract:
A woman is murdered in a small town. At autopsy, the pathologist notes the woman had engaged in sexual relations shortly before her murder. The police department determines the male partner should be considered a person of interest in their investigation. They begin a canvas of the town, asking every male to voluntarily consent to a DNA test. Men refusing to provide the specimen will be publicly listed as potential suspects and perhaps arrested. All 1500 men in the town provide a specimen and none is identified as the sex partner. The DNA results are entered into the FBI's database and made available to every law enforcement agency in the country.
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